


You're Supposed to Be Dead

by constantly_emotional



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-25 20:22:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30094620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/constantly_emotional/pseuds/constantly_emotional
Summary: Because we all feel for Tony, and it's really cute when he has a sister of some kind.This is my first ever fanfic/story I've ever written, so please be kind to any writing/storytelling errors you may see. I am open to criticism though!!December 16, 1991. The day the world lost 3 innovative minds to a freak accident; Howard and Maria Stark, and their estranged daughter Evangeline. It's been years since the manhunt was called off, and Evangeline was presumed dead after her body seemingly vanished from the crash site. But new intelligence has arrived at SHIELD; intelligence that may raise the dead back to life.*Occurs about a year after the events of Civil War
Relationships: Avengers Team & Original Female Character(s), Tony Stark & Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 11





	1. Preface

December 17, 1991

“We have just received confirmation of the tragic deaths of beloved husband and wife, Howard and Maria Stark. Howard Stark was EVAC-ed to a hospital soon after the crash, where he eventually succumbed to his injuries, while his wife Maria was proclaimed dead on scene.”

“There is reason to believe that their estranged daughter, Evangeline Stark, was with her parents in the car that fateful night, however, no body has yet been found. This is certainly a sad mournful day not only for the Stark family, but the world, as we mourn the great loss of a couple that brought so many innovations and advancements to our society. We will be sure to keep you updated as the story develops.”

Tony sat on the edge of his large couch, having heard the same spiel from other reporters for the couple hours he had been cruising through news channels. All offering prayers. All offering condolences. All promising updates. Of course, if any updates were made, he would be the first to be called and informed. But all his landlines had been ripped apart a couple hours earlier in a fit of rage; the damn constant ringing felt like a torture from hell. No one was there to stop him, having sent his caretakers out for some needed time alone. So, once he had calmed, Tony resolved to being hyper fixated on the TV, anxiously scrolling through the limited news channels available, but he was starting to get sick of seeing his parents' and older sister's portraits posted next to the newscasters' faces. His sister's picture left some hope in Tony’s drained body. Hope that he still had somebody on this earth to still call family, even though he hadn’t seen her in many long years. 

The picture of Evangeline was old, taken at an expo where his father was displaying his latest invention. It was a family photo, with Evangeline standing at their mother’s side and Tony at his father's, barely coming up to his chest. There were hints of gray in his father's hair, but not a trace yet in his mother's. Looking closer, Tony could see why his father had fallen for his mother; she was beautiful, with a very kind face. A mother's face. “ _Was_ ,” Tony thought with a sudden bitterness coming into his mouth. “ _I’m going to have to get used to saying that_.” Another wave of pain and sadness fell over his heart at the thought, but he tried to focus on the hope still connected to the picture. The hope that was standing next to their mother. Tony knew Evangeline was very smart; she’s a Stark after all. She must’ve tried to go and get help and maybe got lost along the way. Tony repeated these reassurances, as he picked up the remote again and continued cruising through channels for updates.


	2. Chapter 1

2017 (a bit more than a year after Civil War)

“Evangeline Stark, firstborn of Howard and Maria Stark, born September 28, 1966,” Fury rambled off a case file on the tablet in his hand. “Age 22 when she was presumed dead in '92, after a year of searching for her body after the fatal accident that took both Howard and Maria Stark.” 

Director Fury had brought in the team for an emergency council; the first in a while. After the fiasco over a year ago, team building had been an obvious struggle, and no one was begging to have a room full of people who were only just starting to build trust in each other again any time soon. But this was too big of a development to leave them out of. Tony, Steve, Natasha, Bucky, Sam, Rhodey, Clint, Vision, and Wanda all sat around a conference table, with Fury pacing in front of them. 

Bucky kept his eyes on the smooth metal table in front of him, his hands fidgeting. Well, at least the hand that wasn’t a work of engineering and metal. That one can’t do something as “useless” as picking on a loose thread. Tony kept an eye on the Winter Soldier, reminiscing the moment that he finally learned the truth of his parents' and sister's death. Their deaths never sat right with him for the years that followed the crash and the manhunt for his sister. His father was too skilled a driver, too much of a genius, and cared too much for his family to crash a car with them in it. And now he finally knew why. 

“You mean more like murdered,” Tony bluntly said, taking his eyes off of Bucky and moving back to the director. “'Cause that thing needs a serious software update if not.”

“Not really the moment to be joking around Tony,” Steve quietly said, trying not to get annoyed. It was Tony’s parents after all; and Howard, his old friend. “Why are we bringing up this case again, I thought we worked through this over a year ago. You’re not doubting Bucky again are you?”

“If y’all would shut your mouths for a second and let me finish, I can tell all of you what this means and why I called you in today a lot faster.”

Once he ensured the silence settled, Fury continued, “Tony, what do you remember of the manhunt that occurred for your sister?”

“I knew it was the worst year of my life. A 17-year-old kid, parents dead, 18 when he finally accepts his sister is probably dead… that should’ve messed me up a lot more. But you know, became the most successful genius alive out of it, so I think I turned out alright.”

“Tony, as _proud_ as we are of you, I need more specifics about your sister. What do you remember about her,” Fury asked.

“Investigators told me there was a known pack of wolves in the area. That she was probably able to get out of the car to try and get help, but either succumbed to any injuries she may have had, or the cold, or both. Then the wolves and other scavengers made work of not leaving a trace of her behind.”

Tony turned to face Bucky again, “but obviously, that was not the case.”

Bucky was still staring at the table, not daring to meet anyone's eyes, let alone speak up. But Steve, ever the loyal friend, stepped in. “Hey, I thought we all came to an agreement that it wasn’t Bucky; that it was Hydra using and manipulating a helpless man.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know…” Tony said, waving off the accusation. As much as he hated to admit it, after tensions finally mellowed down following their brawl, he knew Steve was right. Bucky had absolutely no control and little memory over the incident, only knowing that he did commit the act. Once he learned how agonizing the wiping process was for the Winter Soldier, he at least felt reassured that Bucky felt some semblance of the pain Tony had to deal with, once he learned his entire family was dead. 

“As much as I love talking about my dead family, I still don’t see what it has to do with anything.” Tony was starting to get impatient with Fury’s love for theatrics. The long pauses he loved doing made Tony feel as if he was on American Idol, waiting to see if he won the judges' favor.

“While the story does make sense, we do know that that wasn’t the case. Obviously.” Fury turned to look at Bucky, “But, Mr. Barnes, it is curious that you only confirmed killed Mr. and Mrs. Stark. Why not Evangeline?”

Bucky, not daring to ignore a direct question from someone like the director, gruffly responded. “When I came up to the car, she was already unconscious, unlike her mother and father. I was trained to leave no evidence and be as quick and efficient as possible. I knew it would be pointless to ensure she died and waste time, especially knowing a burning car would take care of her if not,” Bucky paused, remembering Mr. Stark pleading to help his wife and only daughter. “They weren’t the targets either way, only the serum they were carrying. I knew she was unconscious and wouldn’t remember me if she did survive, so I needed to ensure Mr. and Mrs. Stark would be the same.” It was a morbid explanation, but the truth. The image of Mrs. Stark trying to reach out to her daughter was not something Bucky would soon forget. Not even a wiping process as intense as Hydra’s could completely rid Bucky of the memory. And he hoped it never would; he wanted to remember the atrocious things he did. He didn’t want to simply forget them. All of the people he killed, not just the Starks. 

“Yeah still not seeing the point,” Tony said, as he threw his hands up exasperatedly. “Now I’m seriously craving a cheeseburger, so if you don’t mind—”

“ _Sit. Down_ ,” Fury quietly seethed. “'Cause you’re going to want to be sitting when I tell you this.”

“Well then can you please enlighten us, Director,” Natasha asked. Quickly feeling the building tension, and beginning to share Tony’s impatience with Fury, Nat was curious as to why the Director was bringing up sensitive topics seemingly out of nowhere. 

Fury nodded his head. “There have been new leads in a case that SHIELD has been following for decades now.”

Fury eyed Tony. “We have received arbitrary pieces of intelligence from an unknown source, which really began to pick up a little after the Battle of New York. This included, but was not limited to, intelligence of new technologies. It’s how we were able to successfully create the helicarriers, updates to suits and weapons designs, and more. They even aided Stark with the plans for Captain Rhodes leg braces,” Fury explained, nodding towards Rhodey. 

“No, no, no, I did all that, I was the one who helped you guys create all that, _I’m the techie guy_ ,” Tony said defensively, a little insulted that someone would undermine his creations like that.  
Come on, he was the one who spent countless days and sleepless nights creating those things, especially the leg braces for his best friend to be able to walk again. 

“I’m not surprised you didn’t notice, especially considering you rarely sleep when you’re in the creating mood,” Fury chuckled, but his face quickly darkened back to its stoic state. “There were often short notes attached to the blueprints we would be given, usually along the lines of, ‘A gift for Tony.’”

“At the beginning, we were simply told to plant them in your lab, and not say a word to anyone, or there would be consequences,” Fury explains. “Considering they were able to easily hack into our system and plant these blueprints, we didn’t want to take our chances, especially considering their plans were pretty helpful to us.”

“Hack into SHIELD's system? But that’s impossible, at least for an outsider to accomplish.” Vision would know, he spent hours pouring over its database and the fine intricacies of SHIELD’s system. It would be impressive for someone who works for SHIELD to get through the many firewalls and protections in place, let alone an outsider. 

“Exactly SHIELD’s thoughts, Vision,” Fury agreed. “We’ve spent years trying to determine who and where these plans and messages have been coming from. We thought we got close a couple years back, but then received a cheeky response: ‘you’re gonna have to try a lot harder than that.’” 

Everyone balked at the comment, as Fury allowed time for it to settle in. SHIELD has some of the best computer programmers and systems analysts on the planet. Not being able to determine where a message even originated—theoretically, a very easy task if someone is skilled enough—is intimidating. 

“So why are you telling us about this mystery person now, after _decades_ of knowing?” Rhodey was unnerved, though he would never show it. The fact that he’s able to walk again because of a shadow that SHIELD has never been able to catch is a very strange feeling.

“That, Captain Rhodey, is why I’ve called you all in today.” Fury looked uncomfortable, nervous even. And it was clear it was making the team equally nervous as well. 

“New intelligence gives us reason to believe we can correctly identify who this shadow is,” Fury explained slowly, eyeing Tony again. 

“Tony… SHIELD believes it to be Evangeline. Your sister.”


	3. Chapter 2

Tony visibly paled at the comment, the cheeseburger craving long forgotten, staring blankly at the director. The rest of the team, not even knowing how to react, resigned to staring at Tony for any kind of reaction. Being told your creations had the help of a mystery shadow for years is one thing. Being told it’s from your supposed-to-be-dead older sister is another. 

Rhodey, getting increasingly uncomfortable with the thick silence, reached out and grasped Tony’s shoulder. 

“Hey, Tony, you good?” Tony rarely ever reacted this way. His face completely devoid of emotion, he looked like he was thinking of everything and nothing at all in the same moment.

Suddenly, FRIDAY’s voice could be heard over the intercom, “It appears Mr. Stark’s heart rate is steadily increasing and shows no sign of slowing down. I suggest countermeasures.”  
It was clear to the team that Tony’s breathing was getting heavier and more erratic as the seconds passed. 

Nat quickly got out of her seat and moved to kneel in front of Tony. “Tony, hey, I need you to take some slow, deep breaths for me, okay?” Nat’s unwavering gaze was an easy thing to ground yourself on, along with the fact that her voice sounded like a calm, direct order, you couldn’t help but follow what she said. 

Tony simply glanced down and seemed to stare through Nat, though it was clear he was trying to take deeper breaths. Only some of the team knew that Tony struggled with anxiety and panic attacks, ever since the attack on New York. Though even the team members who didn’t know found his reaction to be understandable. Learning that your entire immediate family had died at such a young age, and then dealing with the pain for over 20 years, only to discover one of them has been alive the entire time felt like a cruel joke from the universe. 

“Ice…get me some ice—” Tony quickly muttered. Nat quickly stood up and spun around to the bar against the wall, putting some ice cubes on a napkin. Handing it to Tony, he was quick to bury his face into it.

The team patiently waited for Tony to calm down, curious to what he’d say to this bombshell once he had time to catch his breath. Nat had taken back her position of kneeling in front of Tony, encouraging deeper breaths, and reassuring him that he was going to be ok. 

Tony’s breathing were getting slower by the minute, putting to use the coping techniques he was taught. Rhodey, a comforting hand still on Tony’s shoulder, was particularly proud of how much Tony had improved in handling his panic attacks. He remembered how Tony had a habit of literally trying to run away from his anxieties, but now he was dealing with them head-on. 

After a couple more minutes of deep breathing, Tony removed the ice from his face with a sigh, replacing it with a hand to his chin in deep thought. When Rhodey finally decided to remove his hand, Nat slowly went back to her seat next to Clint. 

“I know this is very hard to take in Tony, but that's not all that SHIELD knows.” Fury was looking at Tony apprehensively, wondering if it would even be a good idea to tell Tony and send him spiraling again.

“I swear to god Fury, if you tell me my parents are alive too, I’m going to send every suit I have after your ass.” The team knew Tony didn’t mean what he said, but they wouldn’t hold it against him if he did. 

“Well good thing he won’t be the one telling you,” a regal voice said by the door. Surprised faces took over each team member, shocked none of them even heard the man open and stand by the door. 

“Oh great, now I got royalty all up in my business,” Tony mumbled. “What could you possibly know about my sister Panther? Oh sorry, did you want a curtsy first?”

T’Challa chuckled, stepping into the room with a smile. “Good to see you too, Tony.” The King of Wakanda smiled and nodded to the rest of the team members in greeting. Many of them hadn’t seen or heard from T’Challa since the fight occurred over a year ago, so having him here in person was a shock. And certainly meant that whatever news he carried was important.

T’Challa moved to the front of the room and shook hands with Fury. Fury had a hint of relief cross his face, but it didn’t stick around for long. It’s clear that this was an arranged meeting.

“Well if we knew his majesty was coming, I believe we would’ve tried to dress up a bit more,” Natasha joked, a hint of a smirk on her face. Nat knew T’Challa long before any of the other team members. She was there when his father died, and fought alongside him for a time. She considered him a good friend; hard to come by these days. 

“As much as I am loving this mini-reunion of Team Iron Man, _I would really like to see what you know about my sister_.” Tony was starting to worry T’Challa would have the same love for theatrics as Fury, and he’d be damned if he’d sit through two people trying to explain things with an ample amount of suspense.

“Of course, Tony.” T’Challa grabbed the tablet Fury was handing over, then displayed the old family picture that was plastered all over the news many years ago. Then, next to it, a grainy picture of a woman walking through a market. 

“Mary ‘Khalila’ Lewis. A friend of Wakanda for many years—in fact, Khalila means 'friend' in Arabic—she was given a name and refuge within Wakanda.”

“Hold up— _Wakanda_? I thought no outsiders were allowed within Wakanda, let alone giving a home to one?” Clint was getting increasingly confused, especially since Nat told him about the King and his homeland when she first met T’Challa. The King and his father had made it very clear to the general public that only natural-born citizens were allowed to take home in Wakanda. An outsider doing the same is unheard of. 

“It was a very… unique circumstance,” T’Challa explained. “She was found wounded alongside a known smuggling route, with our people taking care of her. Turns out, she had been secretly aiding our people for many years in stopping the human trafficking that had been occurring. It was an easy decision for my father to allow refuge, and declare her a friend of Wakanda.”

“So this Mary, this Khalila; that’s my sister? That’s Evangeline?” Even though the picture was grainy, Tony could still make out some of her defining features. Her black hair, the same as Tony’s, had gotten longer, and she looked stronger, taller even. But Tony could recognize his sister anywhere. She had their mother's face. 

“It wasn’t until after the Battle of New York that Khalila revealed her true identity to my family. She revealed that she was a long lost Stark, and while she was very thankful for the hospitality my family had given her, she wanted to be ‘A little closer to home.’”

“She had been contributing to Wakanda for many years at that point in new tech, and my father, in gratitude, had a safe house created for her in the States, and a willing member of our guard to go with her.”

“So you knew,” Tony darkly said. “You knew my sister was alive all this time. I let you fight by my side and you _knew_ —” Tony was slowly getting out of his chair, until Rhodey put his hand back on his shoulder, forcing him to sit back down.

“Don’t go doing something stupid Tony, let him finish explaining,” Rhodey quietly mumbled in his ear. He knew the last thing they needed was one of Tony’s suits crashing through the room, and a repulsor ready to go off in the King of Wakanda’s face. 

T’Challa put his hands up in peace and reassurance. “I swore an oath to Khalila that I and my family would never reveal her true identity to anyone unless she was ready to. And I made good on that promise, and ensured to keep it that way.”

“‘Until she was ready’? What do you mean, 'until she was ready'? Was she the one to tell you to come here today?” Tony was getting more and more frantic with each word that came out of T’Challa. What changed that made his sister want to reach out now? Was she in danger? Why did she not try and reach out years— _decades_ —before? A storm of worry, anger, and anxiety slowly began to build in Tony’s chest. 

“Do not worry, Khalila— Evangeline is safe, still residing in the safe house my father gave her.”

This time, Rhodey could not keep his best friend seated in his chair. Tony quickly stood and grabbed T’Challa’s shoulders, “Still in the safe hou— where, where is the safe house, _where is my sister_?”

Both Fury and Rhodey grabbed at Tony, though it was a struggle to wretch Tony from the King. The rest of the team watched on the edge of their seats with worried looks, unsure if they should try and get up to help calm the situation. 

Once Fury and Rhodey successfully pulled Tony off of T’Challa, he smoothed his suit, cleared his throat, and held a hand up to the door. Looking over, two members of the Wakandan Royal Guard were in a defense position, spears aimed at Tony, ready to protect their King. Like T’Challa, the Guard is just as stealthy as a panther; no one even noticed them entering the room. But at the reassurance of their king, they quickly lowered their spears, saluted, and went back to standing guard at the door. 

“Yes, she is still in the safe house. And I will gladly take you there, if you would please refrain from doing that again. Evangeline has given us her blessing for you all to visit.”

“ _Visit? Who does she think she is? Supposedly dead for over 20 years, and then out of the blue invites us over like it's for a garden party_.” Tony’s thoughts were going a mile a minute, still reeling from the fact that his older sister was alive all this time, and now that she’s been in the same country for a couple of years too. 

“Take me to my sister. _Now_.”


	4. Chapter 3

“Of course, if you all would follow me, we already have transport prepared.”

“I’ll be staying here. Can’t have this place going to shit now that all the hot-shots are gone,” Fury joked. With a final nod to the group, everyone else stood, anxious to get to the safe house, if only for Tony’s sake.

The King of Wakanda left the room, the rest of the team following behind. The Royal Guard led the intimidating group through to the roof of the facility, where the Royal Talon Fighter sat, already opening to accept its new guests.

“My personal aircraft; we’ll get to the safe house in no time.” T’Challa smiled at the Fighter jet, as if greeting an old friend. It had been faithful to the King of Wakanda for many years, being given to T’Challa when his father passed. 

The two Guard members reached the entrance of the jet, flanking either side in order to let the group enter. Once everyone was inside the surprisingly spacious aircraft, the Guard followed, closing the ramp leading into the belly of the jet. One stayed near the entrance, being able to keep their eyes on everyone inside, and took back their position of standing guard. The second moved to the front of the jet and prepared to man the Fighter. 

“Please take your seats for takeoff,” the Guard said, not sparing a glance to the rest of the team.

“Thank you Ashea. Olle,” T’Challa said, nodding at each Guard member respectively. While in the past, T’Challa found the constant presence of the Guard annoying at times, he never lost his deep respect for each member. 

“They always that cold to everyone?” While Sam had never seen the Guard in action, he remembered how skilled a fighter the King was over a year ago. If T’Challa had the skills of a master assassin, he couldn’t imagine how skilled the people tasked to protect master fighters like the King were. 

“They have their moments,” T’Challa chuckled, looking over at Olle standing guard. No reaction came out of them, still staring straight ahead, but T’Challa knew his Guard well enough to know she was holding back a smirk. 

“Uh, where are the seatbelts on this thing,” Clint asked, casting a worried glance at the bench-like seats lining the edges of the Fighter. Clint wasn’t afraid of heights or flying, of course, being a pilot himself, but he certainly didn’t find it appealing to get smashed into the back of the craft as it hurtled for takeoff.

“That won’t be necessary,” T’Challa smirked. With fluid movements from Ashea upfront, the aircraft slowly but steadily began to rise into the air. T’Challa and Olle stayed standing, already very used to the movements of the craft at every stage of flight. Quickly sitting, Clint’s look of worry was replaced with astonishment. Seeing an aircraft take off with no need for acceleration was like being in a dream.

“So, how long until we reach Evangeline’s safe house?” Wanda was looking over at Tony, while trying to stop Vision from fiddling with the aircraft; tech always interested him considering he was made of tech himself, and an aircraft this advanced had never been seen by Vision before. Keeping an eye on Tony, Wanda noticed that his leg was already starting to bounce, and his hand had taken its place back on his chin. 

“From Upstate New York, our arrival to the safe house in California will take over an hour to reach, 2:00 at the latest,” Ashea said from the control panel.

“Khalila’s only request when asked about where she would like her safe house located was ‘A view of the ocean,’” T’Challa explained, smiling at the memory. Wakanda’s architects tried to get more out of her, but she refused, simply wanting them to create whatever they wanted. Within reason of course. 

“She hated the cold,” Tony mumbled into his hand, keeping his eyes to the horizon out the window. Even though he was quiet, the team could still understand what he said, casting wary glances at each other.

“Ah… yes, I recall her mentioning to build somewhere warm too,” T’Challa awkwardly said. 

“She hated when I would always drag her outside on snow days when we were kids,” Tony continued quietly. “But she would always come out with a smile on her face, ready to help me build a snowman.” 

Wary faces turned to mild shock on each team member, surprised Tony was so quickly opening up about his older sister. 

“Of course that was before my father realized how much of a genius I was and wanted me to study my ass off all day.”

In all truth, Tony simply wanted to get a heavy weight off his chest. He rarely did any interviews regarding his family’s death and would walk off set if interviewers tried to ask without explicit permission beforehand. In the beginning, he did it to try and avoid the fact that they were dead. Talking about it would set it in stone; make it a true reality. But as the years went on, and the pain slowly dulled, he slowly became more open about his parents, but never his sister, Evangeline. Considering they were now heading to her safe house, Tony felt there was no better time than the present, and wanted to tell his team—his friends—more about his older sister.

With a heavy sigh, Tony continued, “Eve wasn’t around much when I was growing up. I don’t know if she also thought our dad was a dickhead, or if my parents couldn’t stand their constant arguing, but she went to a boarding school for most of the year, only came back during summer and winter break.” 

Tony remembered that when Evangeline would come home, things would start out fine, great even. He felt like his family was whole again with his sister in it, or maybe it was just the joy of getting candy or a new toy whenever she came home. Eve was only 4 years older than Tony, but she acted as if it were 10 years. She was always looking out for and protecting her little brother.

But as the days went on, Tony remembered the shouting matches Eve and their parents would get into, especially with their father. Mainly arguments over Eve’s direction in life, what she wanted to do, but also why she was adamant that she never wanted to settle down in the future. Tony thought it strange, but being the angsty tween that he was, he would haul himself into his room, studying and tinkering, tuning out the heated voices. But he’ll never forget the moment his father yelled out, “ _Why can’t you be more like Tony_ ,” loud enough for even him to hear in his closed-off room. 

“I was only 14 when Eve decided to leave home. She just turned 18, and was already a sophomore at Stanford, being a bit of a genius herself. It’s not like my parents could do anything to stop her.” He remembered when Evangeline quickly came into his room, giving him a deep hug before turning around, and leaving their home for good. 

“She said it wasn’t my fault… what my dad did. She told me she loved me. But she didn’t even give me a damn phone number to call her.”

There were only random moments that Tony saw Eve in the following years, and fewer where he was actually able to talk to her. She was there for both his very early high school graduation and his equally early MIT graduation, standing in the back of the large crowd. Each time, Eve would take him aside before their parents noticed, give him a hug, and his favorite candy bar, telling him how proud she was of him. Tony chuckled at the memory, remember feeling slightly offended that his sister was still giving him candy like he was five. 

He could never bring himself to eat it again once she died. “ _Well, I guess now it’s ‘supposedly died_ ,’” Tony thought, the chuckle quickly dying.

“She was there in other ways though. She never failed to somehow secretly send me birthday and Christmas cards, and she still came to my graduations. There were some random phone calls too, always done when my parents were out of town, and always a different number. How she knew they were gone, I never figured out. But it was always never enough.

“I loved my sister. I still do; it never stopped. And I never blamed her for what she did.” Finally taking his eyes off the window, he looked back at his team. “But y'know, this one is going to be a bit hard to slide under the rug.”

“And we don’t blame you for that, Tony,” T’Challa softly said. He couldn’t imagine the pain and turmoil the inventor was going through. If Shuri had gone through and did the same thing as Khalila, he wouldn’t be so quick to forgive and forget too. 

“Yeah well… I’m looking forward to seeing her excuse. Also, still a bit pissed at _you_ , but I’m not gonna risk my neck getting speared with _her_ watching.” 

Tony fell silent, resuming to gazing out the window, as Olla tightened her grip around said spear. 

With the sun still high in the sky, the team sat in relative silence, watching as the world below zoomed past. 

Evangeline was waiting. And it was certainly shaping up to be one hell of a first meeting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, I know y'all are probably getting impatient, wanting to meet Evangeline. We'll meet her in the next chapter, I promise! I guess I too share a love of theatrics with Fury.  
> In reference to the two royal guard members, I am using she/they pronouns. I know that the royal guard in the movies are all female, but I wanted to be a bit more inclusive!


	5. Chapter 4

“Arriving at the safe house in T-minus five minutes,” Ashea finally called out from the cockpit.

Tony was a bundle of nerves, his leg never ceasing its bounce the entire flight. He had no clue how he was going to react when they did land, and finally see his sister again. He tried to figure out what he’d even say the entire flight, but each time came up blank. What are you supposed to say to a dead sister that miraculously reaches out, saying she’s been alive the entire time?

The team had decided to give Tony plenty of space to think, dedicating a corner of the jet to him. However, seeing that Tony’s leg bouncing and hand fidgeting was only getting faster from Ashea’s announcement, Wanda decided to brave the distance, and sat down quietly next to Tony.

“How’re you feeling?” Tony had been there for Wanda many times throughout her time with the Avengers, being a pillar of support. He helped her cope with the loss of her own sibling, Pietro. In fact, Wanda was one of the few people who had prior knowledge of Evangeline. Tony thought it would be a good way to sympathize with Wanda as she was dealing with the grief of losing her brother, by sharing how he lost his sister; show that she wasn’t alone in her grief. They laughed and cried, telling stories of their mischievous siblings. Tony let Wanda do most of the talking, but through it, they became close. Wanda felt it right to try and pay back at least some of the support he gave her.

“I don’t know kid… I don’t know.” It was an obvious truth. Tony just couldn’t pinpoint which emotion was the strongest in the storm of emotions in his chest. Relief? Anger? Happiness? Confusion? They were swirling inside him like a tornado, jumbling up his thoughts.

“I can only imagine what you’re feeling Tony,” Wanda said, looking over to try and decipher what he was thinking, as Tony continued staring at his hands.

“How would you react, kid?” Tony’s anxieties were slowly rising in his chest, not knowing what to say, but wanting to say everything at the same time. His confusion over the situation was starting to get the best of him.

“I’ve been thinking about that for the entire flight,” Wanda said through a sad smile. “I imagine it would be different. Pietro hasn’t been secretly alive for over 20 years. But I also imagine I would react the same either way.”

Tony finally took his eyes off his hands, moving them to Wanda in slight desperation. “How’s that kid? Don’t think it would be a dick move to hide from your only sister that he’s been alive all this time?”

“Well, no. But seeing him again, alive and breathing, with that crooked smile…” Wanda smiled herself, her eyes slightly glistening. “Tony I would be elated… to be a family again.”

“We’ve become family, you and I,” Wanda said, softly grabbing Tony’s hand. “But there’s something so _different_ with having a true brother or sister; someone you’ve shared life from birth with.

“Tony, you have a chance to have that again. And you have a right to be mad, no one can deny you that. You can yell, scream, even fight with your sister. But don’t throw away the second chance you and Evangeline have been given.”

As Tony took in Wanda’s words, his leg bouncing slowly came to a stop. Giving a quick smile, and soft squeeze of Wanda’s hand in thanks, Tony finally felt ready to face his sister.  
Perfect timing too. “Flying over the safe house now,” Ashea called out.

✰✰✰

When the jet landed, no one especially knew what to do. Was Evangeline going to be right there, ready to greet her guests; her brother? Or were they going to have to wait even longer before seeing the infamous sister?

Tony didn’t know which one he preferred, still staying seated even as the jet ramp slowly opened down onto the earth below. However, when Wanda slowly let go of his hand and stood, he followed her lead; believe it or not, he didn’t want to face this new challenge alone. He was suddenly very thankful that the team came with him. They always—well, in most cases—faced challenges together, as friends. Maybe one day they can all call themselves a family again too. But before that, Tony had to deal with his _immediate_ family, waiting for him down in the safe house.

The rest of the team gave Tony plenty of space, allowing him to walk down the ramp first. The California sun was hot, but not unbearable, even with the humidity. Summer was starting to shift to autumn, and the first cool breezes of the season were drifting through.

With his eyes finally adjusting to the bright sun, Tony was surprised to be greeted not by Evangeline, but a young woman.

_Barely even that_ , Tony thought. _She looks like she could be 16_. Before Tony could begin questioning the young girl, she beat him to the punch.

“Ah, brother, you have finally arrived! Took you long enough.” The girl smiled at Tony, but kept her eyes on T’Challa as he walked down the ramp with the rest of the team.

“Shuri? What in Basts’ name are you doing here?” T’Challa rushed down the rest of the ramp, quickly performing their special handshake. “Does mother know that you are here?”

“I am already 18 brother, mother does not need to know where I am at all times.” Shuri gestured to the safe house behind her, “Besides, what’s safer than a _safe house_?”

“Do not worry my king, the Queen Mother was made aware when Shuri arrived.” The voice was a new one, coming from behind the princess, who was rolling her eyes in playful annoyance.

Tony panicked for a split second, believing it to be his sister, but remembered Eve didn’t have a Wakandan accent. But the woman walking up wasn’t wearing the typical Wakandan clothes, opting for a loose white shirt and shorts, to accommodate for the heat. She was lean and tall, with some notable scars covering her body. This woman had certainly seen her fair share of battles.

“Ah, Nolitha, good to finally see you again,” T’Challa said, returning the salute Nolitha was giving. “It’s been too long.”

“Indeed it has my king. Khalila and I have been missing our get-together’s, especially when this one decides to tag along,” Nolitha said, playfully nudging Shuri’s shoulder with her own, then moving to give Ashea and Olle a hug. It was clear they were old friends, and it at least reassured Sam that the guards were still human, seeing the rare smiles they were giving Nolitha.

At the mention of Evangeline's given Wakandan name, Tony decided to speak up. “And where is our dear _Khalila_? I get that it’s been over 25 years, but I didn’t think my sister would still be making me wait.”

“Ah yes… Khalil— Evangeline is cleaning herself up, there was a bit of a messy accident with one of her experiments before you arrived,” Nolitha explained. “But please, if you’ll all follow me, there are refreshments and food inside. I was told you didn’t eat before leaving.”

At the mention of food and drink, the team realized how hungry they were, and gladly kept up with Nolitha as they walked up to the safe house. Given the chance to glance around, they noticed that the house was perched on a cliff side, the ocean waves crashing below. Tony was quickly reminded of his long destroyed mansion in Malibu, but the safe house before him looked nothing like his old mansion.

The Wakandan architects certainly did a good job designing Evangeline’s home. It looked like a luxury villa from a brochure, bright and white, but still had subtle Wakandan influence; most notably the two snarling metal panther statues, flanking the entrance into the house. Coming to a stop by said statues, Steve held back a gasp— he had a long history working with that metal, considering he threw it around like a frisbee for a living. The two panthers were made up entirely of vibranium.

“Impressive, no?” The question came from Shuri, who had noticed Steve’s curiosity with the metal panthers. “Well I imagine it is to the rest of you; Wakandan’s work with vibranium everyday. It is what the main structure and support of the house is made out of. Father wanted to ensure that ‘safe house’ really meant safe house.”

Looking at the outside of the villa in awe, T’Challa laughed and clapped a hand on Steve’s shoulder to take him out of his trance. “It’s more impressive on the inside— come.”

With the whole team finally inside, Ashea and Olle turned and closed the doors, taking back their position of standing guard on either side. The entire main floor consisted of large windows instead of walls, showing off the ocean below. Looking past, a very nice outside deck could be seen, with an infinity pool, and plenty of comfy chairs to sit in.

The inside of the house was equally impressive. Walking further inside, the team was greeted with plush couches, placed in a lowered seating area. Off to one side was an impressively stocked bar, and the other was a massive kitchen, with enough tools and supplies it would make even the most skilled chef weep with joy. An already set dining area that could easily sit 15 could be seen through two barn doors, which were set on tracks for easy opening. It had a country feel, which was strange considering the ocean was right in front of them.

“Well this is certainly… snazzy,” Bucky said, still trying to take everything in.

“Really dude? _Snazzy_? That’s all you got?” Sam had a habit of picking on the WW2 vet, especially when his old slang came out. He did it with Cap too of course, but not nearly as much as he did it to Buck.

“Please, make yourselves comfortable. Evangeline should be coming down any minute now,” Nolitha said, gesturing to the plush couches. A pitcher of water, charcuterie boards, and other finger foods—some the team couldn’t recognize, it being Wakandan—had already been placed on a large low setting table in the middle of the couch set-up.

The team hesitantly sat down, as T’Challa moved Nolitha and Shuri aside to talk in private. Once T’Challa knew they were out of earshot, he began the interrogation.

“How is Khalila? What is this accident that happened before we arrived?”

“She’s been a bundle of nerves, ever since she asked you to finally inform Fury of her existence a couple days ago,” Nolitha explained, a worried look on her face. “She hasn’t slept, rarely eats; she stays in her lab most of the day.”

“When I came into her lab to tell her you all had arrived, she jumped so hard that the engine she had been working on fell off the table. Oil went everywhere…” Shuri also had a worried look cross her face, as she explained to her brother how the accident happened. She hadn’t been at the safe house for long, but even she could tell Khalila had lost her grip.

T’Challa heaved a resigned sigh. He had a feeling this would happen, especially when he was observing Tony throughout the flight. Eve and Tony were alike in more ways than one; truly brother and sister.

“Well at least the worst part is already over. Surely it cannot get worse from what we’ve already witnessed.”

Even though T’Challa was the King of Wakanda, a wise and smart man, that certainly wasn’t the smartest thing to say.

✰✰✰

Seeing T’Challa move Nolitha and Shuri aside only increased Tony's nerves, if that were even possible. He tried drinking the water from the glass Nat handed him, but it tasted bitter on his tongue. The constant waiting had drained him. And he had finally had enough.

“ **Alright** , I am so sick of this,” Tony said, standing and throwing the glass to the side, smashing it against the ground. “I’m so sick of the _waiting_ , so sick of the damn _hiding_. **Evangeline, where the _hell_ are you**?”

Sharp intakes and quiet gasps could be heard from each member, all eyes moving to Tony. T’Challa slowly stepped in front of his sister, his big brother protectiveness engaging, to Shuri’s slight annoyance. Tony was obviously in a very unpredictable state right now, and T’Challa wasn’t going to risk any more collateral damage.

“That was Tiffany crystal y’know, it cost me $75 alone. I’d appreciate if you didn’t smash any more of it.”

The voice came from the stairs. No one except Nolitha—who was already moving towards the staircase—had noticed them there, everyone being too busy watching Tony’s explosion. But at their voice, everyone's eyes snapped towards the stairs, knowing who it had to be.

Reaching the landing, Evangeline grasped Nolitha’s arms, quietly asking if she was ok. The glass was thrown in her direction, but at Nolitha’s reassurance, Evangeline sighed, and turned to fully face her brother and his team.

“Hello everyone. Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long, but I had a bit of an accident with an engine I was working on. Oil just… _everywhere_.”

“Oh, no problem _Mary_ ,” Tony sneered, taking a step forward. “Or would you prefer Khalila? Beautiful name by the way, really rolls off the tongue.”

Eve sighed. “Tony, I know—”

“No, you don’t know _shit_ Eve. Don’t you dare come at me saying ‘you know’. You have _no idea_ what I’m feeling right now. How could you? _You’ve been dead for 25 years_.” Tony’s chest was beginning to heave with emotions, barely being able to focus on his sister. He knows he’s not hallucinating, but seeing her there, alive and breathing. No words could even begin to describe how Tony felt.

“Tony you have a right to be angry— furious even.”

“Damn right I do,” Tony intercepted.

“Yes, Tony.” Eve sighed, trying to think of something that might let her brother allow her to talk in full sentences. “I can’t even begin to imagine how you’re feeling right now.”

Eve held up a hand, before Tony could have a chance to interrupt her again. “But _please_ , I need you to let me explain. It’s the least I can do, and you deserve an explanation. _Please Tony_. You can do whatever you want when I’m done, but please let me explain.

Everyone was looking between the two like a tennis match, but at Eve’s final comment, all eyes were on Tony waiting for his response.

“Then you better start talking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH WE FINALLY MET EVANGELINE!! AFTER TWO FULL DAYS OF WRITING!! That was a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be. Hope you enjoyed a bit of a longer chapter :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Thank you so much for getting to the end of this very short preface!! The next chapter will be a lot longer, I can guarantee! This is my first ever fanfic/story I've ever written (not sure why I've never done it sooner) so please be kind to any writing/storytelling errors you may see. I am very open to criticism though. This is one of my "bed time scenarios" that I actually only recently came up with, but it was so vivid that I decided to try writing it out!


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